Oakey tops TRL agenda

The Oakey Bears may have more time on their hands to revive their TRL A-grade ambitions for 2017, granting they can balance the books in time.

While no definite decision on whether they will be expelled from the competition is expected to be made at this weekend's AGM, the TRL are looking for some sort of progress and are even willing to bend the rules to accommodate them.

"The advice from the central division is that they (Oakey) can attend but they cannot vote,” TRL treasurer Tony Coonan said.

"If they do not have audited books after the AGM then we need to sit down and start discussing deadlines.”

Despite their current predicament, the Bears are in talks with enough players to field an A-grade, reserve and under 18 side in the TRL next year.

But President Shane Turl is concerned that the town's ongoing public battle with the Defence Department's handling of water contamination in the area has only perpetuated a false narrative that could dissuade prospective players.

"It has been blown out of proportion; we had our field tested by more than one person; the army and New Hope Coal both did it and the results were identical,” he said.

"We are looking at fielding a full strength side and we are getting good feedback from the under 18s and A-grade coach Brendan Dolan has been in in-depth talks with some good quality players.”

While the club cannot formally sign players under their current suspension, the Bears are confident in attracting elite talent to revive the club and build a bigger and better Oakey for 2017.

Also on the table will be a proposition to start a women's league competition in 2017 as well as a change in fixture formatting.

The new plan would be to have a system much like the NRL's.

"We have been discussing two rounds or one and a half rounds like the NRL because the concern with 11 teams is that it makes for a really long season and a lot of the clubs feel that's too long because it puts a lot of pressure on players, committees and volunteers,” TRL's Coonan said.

"It is not an ideal situation but it is one that is being considered.”

Women's league has been a hit-and-miss venture for the TRL in recent years, but the the current crop of girls preparing to lace up are willing to commit to full contact league as opposed to the 'tag' version that failed to take off this year due to it's similarity to the increasingly popular touch competition in the region.